Carriage-return mechanism for type-writers.



F. C. BREUCKMAN.

CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 19H- 1,251,746. Patented Jan. 1,1918.

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BREUCKMFTN FPC. BREUCKMAN.

CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM FQRTYPE WRI'TERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. I917.

1,25 1,746. Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2- amen Zoe -F, C. BR EUCKMAN. CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM FQR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 19"..

Patented Jan. 1,1918. 4 SHEETSSIIEET 3 F. CQBREUCKMFIN awn,

F. QLBREUCKMAN. CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS. nrucmon IILED: Jun]. 1911,

1,251,746 Patented Jan.1,1918.

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vwauto z F C. BREUCKMHN pnrrnn s ra rns rad um FEQEQ FRANKLIN G. BREUCKMAN, OF MAGKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF T0 GEORGE THOMAS ARNOLD, OF MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented" Jan. it, time.

Epplication filed July 7, 1917. Serial No. 179,170.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN C. Banner;- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mackinac Island, in the county of Mackinac and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Impgovements in Carriage-Return Mechanism for Type-Writers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved carriage shifting attachment for typewriters, and has for" its object td provide key controlled means for returning the carriage to its initial writing position after writing a line, and at 'the end of such movement automatically rotating the platen, whereby the lines will be properly spaced.

It is another and more particular object of my invention to provide a device for the above purpose which is particularly de signed for attachment to the Underwood standard typewriter, without necessitating alterations of any character whatsoever in the construction of such machine.

It is a further and more particular object of my invention to provide an attachment for the above purpose, including a piston operatively connected to the carriage of the typewriter, and a key-actuated valve for admitting a pressure fluid to the piston cylinder whereby the carriage is shifted to its starting position.

And it is another object of the invention to provide a very simple and reliable device which may be easily attached to the typewriter for automatically operating the platen rotating mechanism at the end of each writing line.

The invention further contemplates the provision of mechanism whereby the above stated objects may be efficiently accom plished, which is of relatively. simple construction, strong and durable, and will not add materially to the manufacturing cost of such machines.

lVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts t0 be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

.the construction, mounting,

.Figure 1 is a front elevation of a typewriter having my improved attachment aptaken on the sectional view through slide member removed from the carriage frame.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the carriage frame of an Under.- wood typewriter, having the usual'paper guide plate 6 and the platen roller 7. As and manner of operation of the carriage is Well known in the art, and constitutes no part of my present invention, the same will not be further referred to in detail. It will suffice for the purposes of the present explanation, to state that the carriage frame includes the front longitudinal bar 8 which is of angular form in cross-section. Centrally of this bar, the usual outwardly projecting pointer or index member 9 is arranged for movement over the scale bar l0. 11 designates the finger bar, by means of which the platen rotating mechanism is actuated.

At the rear of the typewriter, a pair of supports 31 are arranged in spaced relation, each of said supports consistin of a metal bar bent upon itself to provi e an inter mediate, annular clamping band 32. Immediately below this intermediate annular portion of the supporting bar, a clamping bolt 33 connects the spaced .portions of the bar whereby the band may be tightly secured to the endured a metal bed plate 36.

vclzurnped around one end of a horizontally v by the screws 3! which also secure the felt or ruhher disks 38 upon the under side of said plate.

A guard rail 39 is secured upon the upper ends of spaced supports 40, said guard ra1l being of hollow, rectangular form in crosssection and having a continuous longitudinally extending slot 41 in its top wall. ()ne end of this guard rail is formed with a longitudinal extension which is seated within the clamping band 32 which supports the right hand end of the cylinder 34. This end of the cylinder is provided with a detachable threaded cap 41 having a suitable stufing box through which the piston rod 42 extends. A piston. 43 of any approved construction is fixed to one end of this rod for reciprocation within the cylinder 34. The other end of the piston rod 42 is formed with a reduced portion around one side of which the lower end of a vertically disposed arm 44 extends. The plate 45 is engaged against the other side of this reduced portion of the piston rod and riveted or otherwise securely fixed to the arm 44. The lower end of the arm 44 and plate 45 extends downwardly through the "slot 40 in the guard rail 39, and upon the same a pair of anti-friction rollers 46 are rotatably mounted to travel in the hollow rail. The upper end of the arm 44 is forwardly curved, as at 47, and, provided with terminal means indicated at 48, for attachment to the beaded upper edge of the plate 6 which directs the paper to the platen of the typewriter. I

The opposite or left hand end of the cylinder34 is connected by a short pipe 49 to one end of the valve casing 50. in this casin a rotary valve member 51 is arranged, having a longitudinally extending channel 52 in its periphery, one end of which is adapted to register with the pipe connection 49 and the other end with an exhaust port 53 formed in the wall of the valve casing. This valve member is further provided in its periphery and in spaced relation to the channel or duct 52 with a second channel having a relatively short, longitudinally extending end portion 54 and a long, obliquely inclined portion 55. The end portion 54 is adapted to register with the pipe connection 49 when the valve member is rotated, while the end of the oblique portion 55 of the channel is adapted to register with one end of a supply pipe 56 connected to the valve casand to a suitable tank or reservoir which contains air under pressure. Jiir may be periodically supplied to the tank or reservoir by either a foot orpower actuated pump, the latter preferahly being used :5 supply the cylinc ers 34 of large num o of ypewriters.

One end cylindrical detachable of the valve casing 50. An arm 59 is fixed to the extremity of this stem by means of a suitable screw indicated at 60.

In order to securely brace the supports for the cylinder 34 and the guard rail 39, the end supports are secured to the foot pieces fixed to the corners of the typewriter frame by means of the metal clamping bands 61 which extend around the foot pieces and around the respective supporting bars adjacent one of their ends. The terminals of the clamping bands are connected by means of theclamping screws 62.

To one end of the typewriter frame and to an inwardly projecting lug on the lower edge thereof, one arm of an angular metal plate 63 is secured by means of the screw indicated at 64. The other arm of this plate projects upwardly alongside of the frame, and upon this arm a lever 65 is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends, as at 66. The rear end of this lever is angularly bent, as at 67, and operatively connected by means of the link 68 to the end of the valve operating arm 59. The other or forward end of this lever projects upwardly and is equipped with a suitable finger cap piece 69 which is disposed in line with and adjacent to the left hand shift key.

In the operation of the carriage shifting attachment as above described, it will hennderstood that normally, or while the carriage is moving from right to left, the passage or duct 52 of the rotary valve member 51 connects the left hand end of the cylinder 34-with the exhaust port 53 so that the pieton 43 will have unretarded movement in said cylinder in one direction during the step by step movement of the carriage. When aline has been written, the operator depresses the forward end of the lever 65, thereby raising the rear end thereof and through the medium of the link 68, rotating the valve 51 in a direction to connect the left hand end of the cylinder 34 with the compressed air supply pipe 56 through the medium of the passage or duct 54, 55 in the periphery of the valve. Highly compressed air is thus admitted to the left hand end of the cylinder 34 which acts against the piston 43 so that the carriage will be shifted to the full limit of its movement toward the left into position for the writing of a new line. Preferably, though not necessarily, 1 provide a coil spring indicated at 70, attached to the rear end of the lever 65 and at a suitable point on the machine frame to positively return the rotary valve 51 to its normal position when the lever is released and overcoming any tendency of the air pressure against said valve to hold the same statihnary, as might occur if the gravity move ment of the rear end of the lever and the link connection 58 were alone relied upon for the performance of this function. lit will the lug 24.

mamas thus be observed that immediately upon a continuance of the step by step movement of the carriage in writing, communication will be opened between the cylinder 3&and the atmosphere so that the movement of the piston i3 will not be retarded.

In addition to the carriage shifting means which I have above described, I have also devised a very simple and effective device for actuating the rotating mechanism for the carriage platen, whereby the written lines are properly spaced. This device I sh'li, w proceed to describe in detail.

on the rear side of the carriage frame bar 8 at its center, one end of an arm 12 is secured .by means of the screw indicated at 13. This arm extends obliquely upwardly and forwardly and its other end which is disposed immediately above the forwardly projecting enlargement on said bar is of inverted U-shaped form, as indicated at 14. This end of the bar constitutes a bearing to receive the trunnions of a roller 15. A strip of woven tape or webbing 16 extends over this roller, and one end of said tape is attached to the under side of the finger bar 11 in advance of the carriage frame bar 8 by means ofthe screw 17.

Upon the bar 8 on the right hand side of the bar 12 and in spaced relation thereto, a plate 18 is arranged, one edge of said plate being bent downwardly and inwardly, as at 19. This plate at its other edge is securely fixed to the frame bar 8 by means of spaced screws 20 which also secure to the frame bar a second relatively narrow metal plate 21 disposed between the edge of the plate 18 and the frame. This plate 21 has its outer edge, which projects beyond the edge of the bar 8, downwardly ofi'set, as at 22, and disposed inthe same plane with the inwardly turned edge portion 19 of the plate '18. The opposed edges 19 and 22 of the metal plates are spaced from each other and also from the under side of the plate 18, thereby forming a guideway 23 to receive the flange 25 formed upon one end of a lug 2 t which extends downwardly below the plate 18. Upon the right hand end of the plate 18, a roller 26 is mounted in spaced bearings 27 fixed to the end edge of the plate, and over this roller the tape 16 is engaged. The end of the tape is provided with a suitable eye for engagement with a headed stud 28 fixed in the flange 25 on 29 designates the adjustable carriage stop with which the typewriter is equipped, said stop limiting the movement of the carriage and determining the length of the written lines. To the rear portion of this adjustable stop, an upwardly projecting finger or lug 30 is suitably fixed.

From the above description, the manner of operation of this portion of my inventape is connected to the spring-held, manually operable lever 11, this lever will be pulled over toward the right and the platen rotating mechanism will be actuated to rotate the platen to the extent for which the mechanism has been adjusted. As the use of my invention necessitates no changes whatever in the construction of the platen rotating mechanism as now used in machines of the type referred to, it is not deemed necessary to illustrate or describe such mechanism in detail. Of course, as the writing proceeds and the carriage moves toward the left. the lug 24 moves away from the upstanding finger 30 and the lever 11 is returned to its normal position by means of the lever spring, thereby also returning the lu 24 to its original position in the right hand end of the guideway 23.

means of the above described key coni The end of the tape 16 being From the foregoing description, taken in 7 connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation, and several advantages of my improved typewriter attachment will be clearly and fully understood. It will be manifest that the invention can be easily and quickly applied to the typewriter without in any way changing the construction of the parts 'of the machine or the machine frame, or impairing the easy and free operative movement of the carriage or the platen. By resorting to simple mechanical changes in the form, mounting, and arrangement of the several elements of the invention, the latter may also be adapted to other makes of typewriting machines than that herein particuthat the operator must lift the hand to manually return the carriage to its initial position and rotate the platen for the writing of another line.

I have herein specifically described what, at the present time, I believeto be the preferred embodiment of the invention, and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of making all such inechanieei eiteretions as may hereafter find advisable and as may be a 21y consi iered as falling Within the spiriten l scope of the app .ided claims.

Having thus iuiijz eseribed rnyinvention, What 7 desire to .eiaim and secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. The combinetien with a typewriter e21- riege, of a eyliner, a guideway extending longitudinally from one end of the cylinder a fluid actuated piston in the cylinder having a rod means mounted to travel in saici guidewey and rigidly connecting the rod to the typewriter carriage, and key actuated means for eentroiiing the admission of a pressure fluid to said cylinder.

2. The combination with a typewriter eer- Qopies of this patent may be obsainecl for five cents each, by addressing the Commissisner ei as E. MES Tale triage e eyiinc ie? newness? at W flier e05 2 311316, actuated pisten in the eyito eon-nectthe cylinder with a source 0f fluid under pressure and means for eperetmg said valve to admit the pressure fiina to the cylinder whereby the carriage 1S re i turned to its initial writing position.

in iesmnony whereof 1 hereunto my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses FRANELIN BREUCK CLAN.

Washingten, 3 f3. 

